The Big Ten: TV

The Big Ten continues with a look at the ten television shows I considered appointment viewing over the last year. These are the series I watched religiously, the episodes I talked about obsessively and the moments that left a lasting impression. The grand total amounts to two reality shows, three comedies, and five dramas (NBC wins the network showdown with three entries). Some of the omissions surprised me (old favorites The Hills, Glee and True Blood are no where to be found), and I have a feeling some of the year's late entries (The Vampire Diaries, for instance) will have a strong case for inclusion come the end of 2011. Until then . . .

She deserves this.

On last Sunday's Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains season finale, Sandra Diaz-Twine (pictured here) became the first two-time Survivor winner. She has played the game twice, and she has won the game twice. She is the only player, in twenty seasons, to do so (of course, only nine of the show's nineteen winners have played the game more than once; four of them competed this season: Sandra, Tom from season ten, Parvati from seasons thirteen and sixteen, and JT from season eighteen [the latter three came in fifteenth, second, and tenth, respectively]). In the days following the announcement of Sandra's win, however, a question has arisen: did she deserve it?

Short cuts.

The Hills: You have to love an episode that begins with Stephanie noting that she's "twenty-three, and been to jail twice," ("Like, who does that?") features Lo (who finally makes the opening credits) calling Kristin a "crackhead" (behind her back, of course) and Heidi's step-father commenting that her newest face looks "frozen" (or as Heidi says, "plastic"). None of these moments would have occurred in prior seasons, when the producers kept an air-tight lid on the actually interesting parts of the girls' lives. If Kristin and company (which laughably includes Audrina, as if they would ever hang out in real life) can finally save Heidi from Spencer's sick machinations, acknowledging their various substance abuse scandals on-camera will have been worth it.

TV time.

Glee: Oh hello, Glee! I missed you. "Hell-o" felt like a season premiere, as the writers reintroduced the major characters (Will, Rachel, Finn, and Sue) and shuffled them into place. Similar to the pilot, a lot happens here. I'm thrilled with the addition of Jonathan Groff to the cast - his voice matches Lea Michele's in ways Cory Monteith's never will, and the pair have excellent chemistry. Unfortunately, "Hell-o" also contained a hearty dose of sexism, as Will and Finn strive to find their special snowflake selves despite the "craziness" of the women around them. When Emma told Will "maybe you're trading [Terri's] crazy for my crazy," I almost gagged (I also want to punch Matthew Morrison whenever he makes his "Maybe You're Right That I Am Actually Too Good for You" Face). As usual, I loved Brittany ("Did you know that dolphins are gay sharks?") the most. Next week, this.

TV time.

Survivor: Goodbye, Boston Rob. At least you left with one of the best exit lines in recent memory (to Coach, "you're a little man"). I was definitely rooting for the Rob/Courtney/Sandra alliance to prevail, but I understand Jerri's decision to side with Russell/Parvati/Danielle. At the end of the day, I'd certainly rather be sitting next to some combination of the latter three (with the exception of Parvati, who is just as dangerous a threat as everyone has made her out to be; she not only plays the game, but the entire construct of the show. You want a te-he "black widow" type? She'll give you one, and then she'll win the whole damn thing [Apparently, I have a lot to say about Parvati]). Russell is a gifted strategist, but he has no idea how to play the social game. He's the ideal final two or three partner because he will get you to the end making big, bold moves that drive people to hate his guts.

TV time.

Caprica: I don't know; it's not grabbing me the way Battlestar did. It's a good show, very thoughtful, but also a bit slow. It lacks a certain sense of urgency, mystery, and danger. The Graystone family (Daniel, Amanda, and Zoe) easily interest me the most; I'm really enjoying the fucked-up, futuristic family drama that is their storyline (it helps that Eric Stolz, Paula Malcomson, and Alessandra Torresani are the best actors in the cast). I guess I've yet to decipher an overall sense of direction, or envision a way the multiple threads (the Soldiers of the One, Daniel's business, Tamara's Matrix adventure, Zoe) can and will tie together. I want to care about it more than I do.